Sword Art Online

On November 6, 2022, the VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online (SAO), is officially released, with 10,000 copies released and sold immediately. Kirito, who beta-tested the game, logs-in to the world of Aincrad and meets Klein, a new player, who asks him to teach him the basics of the game including the Sword Skill battle system. Later, after several hours in the game, Kirito and Klein discover that they cannot log out. Shortly after, the pair are teleported to the town square, where they see that all other players have also been transported to the location. A red-hooded Game Master then appears in the sky and reveals himself to the crowd as Akihiko Kayaba, the game's creator. He tells them that he intentionally removed the log-out option. He cautions that they cannot log-out by simply removing the NerveGear, the VR helmet they use to log-in the game, as it will kill them instantly. The only way to log out is for the players to beat and clear all 100 floors of the game. Should they die in the game, their real bodies will perish as well. As a parting gift, Akihiko gives them a mirror that alters their in-game avatars to resemble their real appearance. Kirito asks Klein to follow him to the next town to level up before resources are depleted, but Klein politely declines as he wishes to remain with his friends. Kirito then heads out, vowing to be free from the game. By the end of the first month, 2,000 players have died and the 1st floor has yet to be cleared.

On December 2, 2022, Kirito attends a meeting organized by an idealistic Diabel who reveals to the attendants that his party has found the boss of the 1st floor tower. He rallies everyone to team up and beat the boss, Illfang the Kobold Lord, which will open up the 2nd floor. As parties are formed, Kirito teams up with a girl name Asuna. A new player named Kibaou blames the Beta Testers of the game for running away to loot and level up while leaving the new players behind. But another named Egil defends the Beta players, revealing it was them who gave them the free guide book that helped them survive the game. Thanks to the guide book, Diabel strategize on fighting Illfang and his minions. As night comes, Kirito shares his food with Asuna whom the latter reveals she joined them as she wants to do something rather than nothing. The next day, Diabel's group arrives at the boss's room and fight against Illfang and his minions. Both Kirito and Asuna make use of their teamwork fighting. With Illfang's health low, Diabel goes for the finishing blow but Kirito tries to warn him after noticing Illfang has a different type of weapon as describe in the guide book but Illfang strikes Diabel. Kirito realizes that Diabel is also a Beta player as he was trying to get the boss's rare item and as he dies, Diabel begs Kirito to help the others. Having an epiphany on how Diabel was helping the other players while he was only helping himself, Kirito is determined to defeat the boss. Thanks to Asuna and the others help, Kirito finally kills Illfang, finally clearing the 1st floor much to everyone's joy. But the celebration is short lived when Kibaou blames Kirito for Diabel's death as his knowledge as a Beta player would have save him. Fearing infighting between the beta and new players, Kirito mocks everyone, telling them he is unlike the beta players, who were the first to die in the game as they were clueless as he uses his knowledge of the Beta for his own gain. Everyone is horrified of Kirito, who calls him a Beater; a Beta player who cheats. As he leaves for the 2nd floor, he advises Asuna to join a guild.

Four months have past with more powerful players and guilds clearing the game's floors. After saving a guild called the "Moonlit Black Cats", a group of friends from the same school club, their leader Keita thanks Kirito and ask him to join their guild and teach the only female in their guild, Sachi, to fight better. Kirito agrees while hiding the fact he is at least Level 40, twice higher than the others as they slowly and safely level up at low-level floors that have been cleared. Kirito bonds with his new friends, especially Sachi, who admits to Kirito she's afraid to die which he assures her he will protect her and they will be free one day. But on June 12, 2023, as Keita goes to buy a house for the guild, against their usual methods and Kirito's advice, the Black Cats decide to earn some money by going to the upper floors where they set off a trap, locking them in a room with higher level Mobs. Kirito desperately tries to save his friends but they are killed one by one until Sachi is the last to fall. Blaming himself over his friends death, including Keita, who committed suicide upon learning what happen, Kirito goes on a suicidal quest upon learning a rumor there is a way to revive the dead. On December 24, 2023, Argo the informant reveals to Kirito the location of a special boss named Nicholas the Renegade who has an item that can revive the dead. As Kirito heads there, he is followed by Klein and his guild, who fears for his safety. They are soon surrounded by the Holy Dragon Alliance guild who are also after the item. As Klein and his guild hold off the Holy Dragons, Kirito faces against Nicholas alone. But much to his distraught, Kirito discovers the item can only revive the dead within ten seconds after their deaths. To Kirito's surprise, he receives a recorded message from Sachi. Sent to him on Christmas Eve in the event of her death, Sachi tells Kirito not to blame himself over her death and that he should continue living to be free from the game. As she ends the message by humming "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" before saying goodbye, Kirito sadly cries.

On February 23, 2024, a beast tamer named Silica, quits a party after arguing with their leader, Rosalia. Silicia is ambushed by monsters whilst making her way alone through the forest and her dragon familiar, Pina, is killed trying to protect her. As Kirito saves her, he tells Silica of an item at the Hill of Memories on the 47th floor that can revive her familiar within three days after it's death, offering to accompany her there. As they spend time together, Kirito warns Silicia of "orange players", players who attack other players and "red players", players who kill other players and someone is eavesdropping on their plans. As they make their way towards the Hill of Memories the next day, Kirito tells Silica about his younger sister who is actually his cousin, who she reminds him of. As they finally retrieve the item, the Pneuma Flower, they are confronted by Rosalia and her men, who are actually part of the Titan's Hand, a notorious orange player guild and are after Silica's flower. However, Kirito reveals part of his reason for escorting Silica was to draw Rosalia out to arrest her. The guild realizes Kirito is the infamous Beater "The Black Swordsman", and due to his higher levels and advanced skills, he outmatches Rosalia and her men, forcing them to surrender and send them to prison. As Kirito prepares to return to the front lines, he makes a promise to Silica that they'll meet again in the real world as she revives Pina.

During a meeting between guilds and players on March 6, 2024 on the 56th floor, Asuna, who has now become Vice Commander of the Knights of Blood Oath guild, propose a plan to lure a boss they are fighting into a village but is opposed by Kirito, as the NPC villagers will be killed. A month later on the 59th floor, Kirito is taking a nap until Asuna arrives, criticizing him for being lazy but he convinces her to relax as well. To thank him for guarding her while she was asleep, Asuna decided to buy lunch for him at a town on the 57th floor. However, they discovered a player killed, hanging outside the church, impaled with a spear. As they both investigate, Kirito wonders how the player was killed in a safezone unless he was dueled by another player or someone has found an exploit to kill players. Yoruko, a girl who was a friend of the victim, Kains, saw someone behind Kains before he was hanged. Asuna and Kirito heads towards Egil's shop to help them find clues on the murder weapon, which Egil learns it's a custom made weapon by a player named Grimrock. Explaining what they discovered to Yoruko, she reveals how she and Kains are related to Grimrock. Six months ago, she, Kains and Grimrock were part of a eight-man guild called the Golden Apple lead by Griselda, Grimrock's ingame wife. One day the guild acquired a rare ring and voted whether to use it or sell it, with three members, Yoruko, Kains and Schmit, now a member of the Holy Dragon Alliance, voting to use it. Griselda went out to sell the ring but was killed. Yoruko believes the killer is targeting the three of them as he suspect they were involved in Griselda's death. After getting Schmit and explaining to him everything, Yoruko becomes paranoid, believing Griselda's ghost wants revenge against them. But Yoruko is killed after someone throws a dagger from outside.

Kirito chases after the assassin but he manages to teleport away. Kirito is still unsure how it was possible to kill someone in a safezone which a paranoid Schmit thinks Griselda's ghost is really after him. After accidentally seeing a dropped sandwich vanishing and talking with Asuna about the game's marriage system which allows both couples to share each others inventory, Kirito finally figures out how Yoruko and Kains "died" and who is Griselda's killer. It turns out Yoruko and Kains are still alive and tricked people into thinking they were dead by using damaged armor that will eventually disappear along with teleport crystals at the same time to make it look like they died. Yoruko and Kains confront Schmit at Griselda's grave as they are investigating who Griselda's killer is. After Schmit explains he had no part in Griselda's death, the three of them are surrounded by the notorious player-killing guild, the Laughing Coffins, who have come to kill them. They are soon rescued by the timely arrival of Kirito, which the Laughing Coffins retreat and Asuna arrives with the man who hired them and Griselda's killer, Grimrock. Grimrock reveals he killed Griselda, who was also his wife in the real world, because he couldn't accept his kind, dutiful wife he loved now became a fearless, independent leader. Asuna shoots back on Grimrock for killing Griselda, telling him he didn't love his wife but was just obsessed with her. After Yoruko, Kains and Schmit take Grimrock into custody, Kirito and Asuna talks about marriage and how he would still love his partner after seeing a different side of her, they see Griselda's ghost, who thanks them.

On June 24, 2024 at Lindas on 48th floor, Asuna visits her friend the blacksmith Lisbeth or "Liz" at her smith shop before going adventuring, and Liz suspects she's going with a boy she likes. Later, Kirito arrives at Liz's shop as he's looking for a custom-made sword to buy. Much to Liz's shock, Kirito's sword Elucidator easily breaks her strongest sword. Angry and her pride hurt, Liz convinces Kirirto to let her join him to the Western Mountain on the 55th floor to get a rare mineral from a dragon that eats crystals so she can use the mineral to make a stronger sword. As they arrive at the Western Mountain, Kirito advises Liz to hide as he fights the dragon. However, she ignores his advice when she comes out when she thinks the dragon is almost defeated. The dragon blows her into a deep pit and Kirito jumps in to save her. While they both survive, they can't get out of the pit and are forced to sleep there for the night. Liz asks Kirito to hold her hand while they sleep, which brings her to realize that she can feel another person's warmth even though they are just data. She also realizes that she has feelings for him. The next morning, Kirito discovers that the mineral they are seeking, a Crystallite Ingot, is under the snow as the hole is the dragon's nest. The dragon returns and Kirito grabs Liz with him as he stabs the dragon's back, forcing it to carry them out of the hole before jumping out. Now safe with the mineral, Liz manages to create a new sword for Kirito, Dark Repulsor. As she asks Kirito to use her as his exclusive smith and is about to confess to him, a worried Asuna arrives. Realizing Kirito is the boy Asuna likes, Liz excuses herself from them. As Liz cries over her heartbreak, Kirito finds her and tries to comfort her. Accepting her predicament, Liz promises to help Kirito as his smith if he promises to win the game and free them all.

After adventuring on the 74th floor, Kirito finds a Ragout Rabbit, a rare animal with top grade meat. Since he can't cook well, Kirito decides to sell it to Egil. When Asuna arrives and tells them she has mastered her cooking skills, Kirito decides to give the meat to Asuna in exchange they both eat it together. But Kuradeel, Asuna's escort sent by the Knights of Blood, is against Asuna inviting Kirito to her home as he is a Beater but Asuna ignores him. As they arrive at her home at Selmburg on the 61st floor, Asuna cooks the rabbit meat for dinner. As they talk, Asuna and Kirito discuss how two years have past since they were trapped in the game and many players seems to accept living in Aincard with less then five hundred players clearing the floors. Both agree to party up and explore the dungeons at the 74th floor. However, Kuradeel was following Asuna to prevent her from meeting up with Kirito. To settle things, Kirito has a duel with Kuradeel where if he wins, Kuradeel will leave Asuna alone. Kirito wins the duel by breaking Kuradeel's sword. Kuradeel refuses to give up but Asuna relieves him of his duties and orders him to return to Knights of the Blood Oath headquarters to await punishment. As Kirito and Asuna explores the 74th floor dungeons, they discover the boss room and its boss, The Gleam Eyes.

Kirito and Asuna flee from the boss and take a break for a snack when they meet Klein and the Furinkazan guild. The army also appears, visibly exausted from exploring the floor. They demand Kirito to give them the map he made of the floor, and despite Asuna and Klein's protests he willingly complains with their request. Kirito, Asuna and Klein keep exploring the floor, clearing the monsters there, just to learn that the army is confronting the boss by themselves despite Kirito's warnings, and to make matters worse, the teleport crystals do not work in the boss room. As the members of the army are killed one by one, they launch themselves aganst the boss to protect the survivors and Kirito is forced to deploy a special skill of his he used to keep in secret that allows him to fight with two weapons, one in each hand, defeating the boss with a series of quick strikes. After the fight, Kirito collapses with HP almost totally depleted, just to wake up instants later, seeing Asuna in tears, who asks him to form a party with him, to which he agrees. Some time later, Kirito and Asuna are brought before Heathcliff, commander of the Knights of Blood who challenges him to a duel. If Kirito wins, Asuna is allowed to leave the guild and join his side, but he must join the guild instead should he loses. Kirito agrees to the terms and accepts Heathcliff's challenge.